China’s hotels experience familiar concerns

The Chinese hospitality sector has the same headline concern as its Western peers – negotiating the changing dynamics of technology, distribution and competition while never losing sight of the on-property guest experience.

But the pre-stay experience is becoming more connected to the stay itself, with the insights picked up during the search and book phase informing what happens once the guest arrives.

Hence the tagline for a big conference in Shanghai last week – Reshaping the Experience.

The 2017 China Hotel Marketing Conference, organised by TravelDaily China and China Travel News, attracted a range of speakers, including the usual suspects such as Ctrip and TripAdvisor, global hotel chains such as IHG and Wyndham and Chinese brands such as Hengda and Zhuyou.